German Engineer becomes 3-millionth visitor to Taiwan this year

With Taiwan’s 3-millionth visitor of 2009 having arrived back in September, Taiwan tourism officials have expressed confidence in reaching 4 million foreign visitors before the end of the year

Georg Bernd Grabitz, a 47-year-old German engineer, became the 3-millionth foreign visitor when he landed at the Taoyuan International Airport on board a China Airlines flight from Frankfurt.

He received a cash card worth 300,000 Taiwan dollars, a gift package and a certificate from Taiwan Tourism Bureau staff who welcomed him at the airport.

Taiwan's inbound tourism has enjoyed steady growth this year, prompting the Tourism Bureau to raise the annual foreign visitors' target from 4 million to 4.1-4.2 million.

'Our tourism industry has been hurt by the global financial crisis, the swine flu and Typhoon Morakot which hit Taiwan on August 8, killing 758 people,' Liu Hsi-lin, chief secretary of the Tourism Bureau, said.

The typhoon, the worst in 50 years, dealt a blow as it caused landslides and destroyed roads and railway tracks on the Alishan Mountain, one of the main tourist draws of the island.

'Repair of roads and railway on Alishan will be completed before the year-end. We want tell foreign tourists that there are other sights to see in Taiwan, and there are cultural tours, festivals and in-depth tours,' he said by phone.

In the first eight months this year, Taiwan received 2.8 million foreign visitors, up 12 per cent year-on-year.

In August, the number of foreign visitors - both business visitors and tourists - surged 18 per cent, with the number of mainland Chinese visitors soaring by 176 per cent.

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